Elementary

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Blue Heron Bash 2023: Auction donations wanted!

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The 2023 Blue Heron Bash needs your donations! There are many ways to participate so get creative. The auction will be March 13-19.

Donate in one or more of the following categories: 

LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS : support local restaurants and stores. Buy gift cards and donate them to the auction. Support the businesses and GRS at the same time. If you are a GRS family and own a business we want everyone to know it and support you.

GREAT GATHERING: share your skills by offering a great gathering on cooking, crafting, gardening, beer brewing and more! 2023 Great Gatherings

Or donate an online class (the Loft, local community education, etc.)

MERCHANDISE : donate a bottle of wine for the wine pull, games, gift baskets, art, jewelry, unwanted gifts, unused gift cards and more! Think of things that would be appealing to members of the community.

MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS: support your favorite museums, gyms, state and national parks, online news sources, public media stations, CSA, streaming services by donating a membership or subscription.

READINGS OR PERFORMANCES: offer a poetry reading, musical performance, or donate tickets to an event from one of your favorite music or theater venues.  Donate tickets to a sporting event.

SERVICES: offer to build a website, consult on a resume, create a logo, or more!

MAKERS MARKET: we want to celebrate the Montessori tradition of hand work and highlight students and families who create art, crafts, food, etc. in our 4th annual Makers Market. 

For more information and links to sign up, check out our BHB 101 Doc!

BHB 101 2023

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Support Great River School

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There are many ways to support to Great River: 

  • Become a monthly sustainer (sustaining donors make the biggest impact by providing a consistent and reliable source of funds)

  • Give a one-time gift

  • Check with your employer about matching gifts - some employers also give monetary gifts based on your volunteer hours

  • Collect Box Tops for Education

  • Shop using Amazon Smile (the program is active through the end of this month)

  • Volunteer - your time and talents are important contributions

All of our giving options can be found at https://www.greatriverschool.org/give. 

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Host a Great Gathering this year!

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Blue Heron Bash is just around the corner and you're probably looking for a fun, entertaining way to support the school and to build the GRS community! Consider hosting a Great Gathering this year!

Great Gatherings are fixed-price social events that bring people together while raising money for our school. We are looking to add new hosts and experiences. Please consider hosting an event as a fun way to connect with other GRS families!

Examples of Great Gatherings from the past included family events like pancakes in the park, brewery tours, back yard movies, or puzzle and game nights; parent-only events like wine and cheese, themed dinners, a moms weekend at a cabin; and workshops -how to make kimchi, woodworking, yoga. Host by yourself, or co-host with a friend or two! Really, any opportunity to get together can be a Great Gathering!

Here's the google form to register your gathering idea -we'll be offering the gatherings for folks to sign up to attend at the Blue Heron Bash, but you can plan your event for any time in the next 12 months.

https://docs.google.com/.../1jAlwTjMmfu3eNDR9izoG.../prefill

Questions? Ideas? Feedback? Email greatgatherings@greatriverschool.org

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Support Great River School

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“...my kids' friends are what bind them to the GRS community.  They appreciate their guides' efforts to provide them with lessons that challenge them and help them to understand the complicated and amazing world that they live in.” GRS parent, Upper Adolescent  

Your donations have a direct impact on our school community! With your support, Great River can offer unique opportunities like Key Experiences, the in-school Righty-Tighty bike shop, our urban farm, theater and music, and Montessori classroom materials. 

Visit https://www.greatriverschool.org/give to see all the ways you can give.

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Summer Camp 2023!

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Our summer camp has full-day camp opportunities for 4th-7th, 7th-10th and even one for 9th-12th graders.  But did you know that for the younger ages, you can combine a morning camp with an afternoon camp, creating a full day of fun!  If you do this, your camper will have an outdoor, supervised lunch and recess in between the two camps.  To see what camps we have to offer, visit: GRS Camp Home Page.  To fill out the Pay What You Can form click Here.

Calling all 3rd thru 5th Grade Families! Join us for Girls on the Run!

Girls on the Run is making its way back to GRS for the spring season!

Girls on the Run is a program that will meet 2x a week for 10 weeks (Tues/Thurs 3:30 - 5:00 pm) starting the week of March 27. Participants will have fun, make friends, increase their physical activity levels and learn important life skills. Trained and caring coaches lead 3rd - 5th graders through interactive lessons and movement activities. The season will end with a celebratory 5K on the night of Friday, June 2nd (time TBA) at the State Fairgrounds!

On track to be an olympic runner? This group is for you! Never ran a 5k and don't really like running? This group is ALSO for you! We are a gender-inclusive group, so while the program is called Girls on the Run, gender creative and non-confirming students are welcome! Registration opens February 1 and will run through February 7. The lottery for participants will happen on February 8 if we have more people sign-up then we are able to have on the team. Reach out to Delia Koolick at dkoolick@greatriverschool.org with questions! 

Register here: https://www.pinwheel.us/register/index/spring23-program-registration?sid=f3c66fe2fea641e495113b731b427397

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Lego League Spring Club (Open to students in 5 - 8 grades)

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Calling interested 5-8 graders and parent coaches! GRS plans to host a Lego League club this spring. The goal for this club is to learn more about Lego robot design and programming and to build skills in preparation for next fall’s competition season. 

Lego League gives students a hands-on technical challenge to solve while working as a team to study the problem and find solutions. We're looking for kids who are committed to hard work and building strong, cooperative teams. To apply, students should fill out the Lego League student application at this link.

We are also looking for parents who are able to volunteer their time to coach a team--no experience is needed, just a willingness to help guide the kids in their work! 

The club will meet every Wednesday after school from 3:30-5:30. The first meeting will be Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

The fee is $150 ($75 if a student’s parent volunteers as a coach). Scholarships are available--contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org for information. The fee goes towards materials, equipment, and GRS staff resources. 

Registration is complete when the student application has been submitted and approved and fee paid.

Contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org with any questions.

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Wanted: Community Folk School teachers!

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Do you have a craft, sport, hobby, art or other skill that you would like to share while earning some extra income? We are planning to pilot a folk school program for adults and families in our school community. 

Classes will be offered in the evenings and weekends beginning in February or March.

Past offerings and ideas have included wood carving, yoga, family meal prep, seasonal home remedies (cooking), jewelry making, and bicycle repair. We have gym, kitchen and classroom spaces available for use. 

Please send your proposals to Karen at kanway@greatriverschool.org by February 10.

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Coaches needed for upcoming archery classes

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We’re hoping to offer archery to all grades starting in late February. Tentative plans are for archery to meet Tuesdays from 3:30-4:15 and Wednesdays from 3:30-5:15. If you are available and interested in helping out with coaching, your child is guaranteed a spot free of charge and we will provide orientation, no experience needed. You can participate as a volunteer or get paid a stipend for your time. Please contact Karen at kanway@greatriverschool.org for more information about helping coach archery classes this spring.

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Is your child interested in Chess Club at Great River School?

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We are considering a partnership with the Twin Cities Chess Club to organize a club after school for Great River students. If your student is interested in chess club at Great River, please fill out this interest form and we will contact you with more information. Thank you!

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Lego League Spring Club (Open to students in 5 - 8 grades)

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Calling interested 5-8 graders and parent coaches! GRS plans to host a Lego League club this spring. The goal for this club is to learn more about Lego robot design and programming and to build skills in preparation for next fall’s competition season. 

Lego League gives students a hands-on technical challenge to solve while working as a team to study the problem and find solutions. We're looking for kids who are committed to hard work and building strong, cooperative teams. To apply, students should fill out the Lego League student application at this link.

We are also looking for parents who are able to volunteer their time to coach a team--no experience is needed, just a willingness to help guide the kids in their work! 

The club will meet every Wednesday after school from 3:30-5:30. The first meeting will be Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

The fee is $150 ($75 if a student’s parent volunteers as a coach). Scholarships are available--contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org for information. The fee goes towards materials, equipment, and GRS staff resources. 

Registration is complete when the student application has been submitted and approved and fee paid.

Contact bigcanoe@greatriverschool.org with any questions.

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Box Tops for Education

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According to the Kids in Need Foundation, teachers reported that supplies positively impacted their ability to:

1. Create a more equitable learning environment
2. Meet students' educational needs through daily activities
3. Focus on other areas of need in the classroom
4. Increase the variety and breadth of projects they could offer students

Your scans can make a difference for a school in need! Tap the profile image at the top of the Box Tops app home screen, then select "Manage Schools" to get started.

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Summer Camp Registration!

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GRS Summer Camp Registration is now open!  Our registration home page with schedules is Here!  This year we have camps that focus on sailing, ultimate frisbee, Lego robotics, art, pottery, and new this year, THEATER!  Be sure to sign up to get the early bird discount.  Also, click here to fill out the Pay What You Can Program form.  Email Brent Cummins at bcummins@greatriverschool.org with any questions.

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Addams Family Musical opens on Friday, February 17!! Tickets on sale now!

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Tickets are now available for our winter musical, The Addams Family! Buy your tickets now on the GRS website.

In the kooky, spooky world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family: the Addams kids are growing up. The Addamses have lived by their unique values for hundreds of years and Gomez and Morticia would be only too happy to continue living that way. Their dark, macabre, beloved daughter Wednesday on the other hand, has different plans. She has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet, smart boy from a normal, respectable Ohio family — the most un-Addams sounding person imaginable! And to make matters worse, she has invited the Beinekes to their home for dinner. Can this family be normal for just one night? Come find out in Great River School’s production of The Addams Family, opening on February 17th, 2023!

Synopsis adapted from stageagent.com

Recommended for ages 10 and up due to some suggestive material including brief sexual references. Please note that this is just a recommendation and not a strict age limit. Feel free to do whatever feels right for your family.

While masks are not required, we strongly recommend you wear one for the safety and health of our cast and crew. There will be masks at the door if you need one.

Have a question or an accessibility need? Email us at grstheater@greatriverschool.com!

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Broomball Club for all genders, Grades 5 - 8

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We hope to again offer a broomball club sport this January-February for grades 5-8. 

Great River will organize teams for broomball practices and scrimmages within our own community. What is broomball? Click here to find out!

Coach: Parent volunteer wanted, supported by Big Canoe staff

Practices and games: Mondays and Thursdays (tentative) 3:30-4:45

Location: Como broomball rinks at McMurray fields

Cost: $100.

Requirements: a bike or ski helmet, any skill level

Sign up here if you are interested in participating or to receive more information! 

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Save the date! Blue Heron Bash Fundraiser - Saturday, March 18, 2023

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This year’s annual Blue Heron Bash Fundraiser is Saturday, March 18.  

Check out the BHB 101 2023 for all the information about the event, how to donate, volunteer & more.  You can also email blueheronbash@greatriverschool.org anytime.

Our first planning meeting of the year is tonight, Monday, January 9, 2023 at 7pm via zoom. Please join in if you are able. We hope to see you there!  

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Reminder: BIPOC Caregiver Meeting, TONIGHT, Thursday, January 5th; 7:45pm

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REMINDER: BIPOC caregiver meeting will be held Tonight, Thursday January 5th at 7:45pm via zoom. The zoom link can be accessed HERE. 

The BIPOC Caregiver Committee is a group of caregivers who meet the first Thursday of each month to talk about ways that the school can be more inclusive for BIPOC students while also focusing on encouraging everyone in the school to explore their identity. All caregivers of BIPOC students are welcome.

Please email Jordan Samejima (jsamejima@greatriverschool.org) or Anu Dean (adean@greatriverschool.org) if you have any questions.